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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · lean · charge · pop · wax · court · press · scale

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mug — a face
  3. press — a publisher
  4. scale — in music
  5. pop — music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. charge — a price
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lean — thin
  10. court — for sport
  11. press — to push
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wax — to grow
  15. court — of law
  16. charge — in control
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pop — soda
  19. charge — electricity
  20. press — newspapers
  21. court — of a king
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com